NID M.Des 2026 Paper Pattern, Prelims & Mains Exam Structure, Weightage, Marks Distribution

NID M.Des 2026 Paper Pattern, Prelims & Mains Exam Structure, Weightage, Marks Distribution

Ongoing Event

NID DAT MDes Admit Card Date:11 Dec' 25 - 21 Dec' 25

Achyuth NambiarUpdated on 13 Dec 2025, 10:45 AM IST

Aside from keeping track of the NID MDes 2026 Admission Process, candidates need to be well-informed about the NID MDes entrance exam as well. The NID Admit Card 2026 has been released on the official website on December 11, 2025. The NID Entrance exam 2026 will be conducted on December 21, 2025. Candidates need to be well-versed in the NID Paper Pattern 2026 to strategize effectively. The NID MDes entrance exam has two phases, the DAT Prelims and the DAT Mains. The score in the Prelims does not carry weightage in the final merit result and is used to find out candidates who qualify for the DAT Mains. The score from the Studio Test and Interviews in the DAT Mains will be considered for the Final Merit List.

This Story also Contains

  1. NID M.Des 2026 Paper Pattern - Overview
  2. Exam Pattern for NID DAT Prelims for M.Des
  3. Exam Pattern for NID DAT Mains for M.Des
  4. Weightages for the Final Merit List for NID DAT M.Des
NID M.Des 2026 Paper Pattern, Prelims & Mains Exam Structure, Weightage, Marks Distribution
nid Mdes Paper Pattern

Read more about the NID exam paper pattern, the details of the DAT Prelims and DAT Mains, weightage distribution for the NID DAT Final Result 2026, and more in the article below.

NID M.Des 2026 Paper Pattern - Overview

Candidates can appear for the NID M.Des DAT Prelims 2026 exam on December 21, 2025, followed by the DAT Mains exam, which will be conducted tentatively in April - May 2026. The M.Des Admission process at the National Institute of Design (NID) is based on candidates’ performance across two stages of the Design Aptitude Test DAT, the DAT Prelims (Stage 1) and DAT Mains (Stage 2).

The objective of both examinations is to assess the knowledge, skills, and behavioural abilities of candidates. All NID DAT test question papers are provided in the English language only.

Exam Pattern for NID DAT Prelims for M.Des

The NID DAT prelims for the M.Des entrance exam at NID will be conducted as a paper-and-pen test and act as a qualifying round for candidates seeking to appear for the DAT Mains. The score of the candidates in the DAT Prelims will not be considered in the final result of the candidates and is strictly used to shortlist candidates for the DAT Mains phase of the admission process. There will be a single common test paper for the DAT Prelims exam for all the faculty streams. Candidates can refer to the table below to learn more about the NID DAT M.Des Prelims.

NID DAT M.Des Prelims Exam Pattern

Particulars

Details

Format

Paper and Pencil/Pen test

Question Type

Multiple Choice Questions

Subjects

  • General Knowledge

  • Design Principles and History

  • Mathematics and Applied Logic

  • Visual and Spatial Reasoning

  • Reading Comprehension

  • Color theory

Purpose

The DAT Prelims score is used for shortlisting candidates for the DAT Mains Exam. Prelims score won’t be considered in the weightage for the DAT Mains Exam

Exam Pattern for NID DAT Mains for M.Des

The marks scored in the DAT Mains will be considered for the Final Merit List. Candidates will have to appear for all parts of the DAT Mains exam for their scores to be considered in the final merit list. Candidates can check out the table below to learn more about the NID DAT Mains M.Des exam pattern.

Particulars

Details

Format

Offline Mode with Paper-Based exam and Interview

Question Type

DAT Mains consists of a Studio Test & Interview

Subjects

A Faculty Stream-specific Studio Test will be conducted for all disciplines under each faculty stream; however, interviews will be conducted discipline-wise.

Purpose

The final marks of the candidate appearing for the M.Des. programme of the National Institute of Design will be calculated based on the weightages of the marks obtained in the DAT Mains.

Weightages for the Final Merit List for NID DAT M.Des

The final result for the M.Des. programme is calculated based entirely on the marks obtained in the DAT Mains. Candidates can check out the distribution in the table below.

DAT Mains Result Weightage

DAT Mains Component for M.Des

Weightage

Studio Test

40%

Interviews

60%

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is there an official NID M.Des Paper Pattern PDF?
A:

There is no specific NID Paper pattern PDF currently that candidates can download and use to strategise for the NID entrance exam.

Q: What is the NID DAT Mains M.Des Paper Pattern?
A:

Candidates need to appear for a studio test, which has a weightage of 40% and Interviews, which have a weightage of 60%.

Q: What is the exam pattern of NID M.Des?
A:

The NID 2026 Exam Pattern consists of two stages, Prelims and Mains, with distinct question formats and evaluation methods. The Prelims is a written test, while the Mains include a studio test and a personal interview.

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